London 11 1952 - 1953

Curator: This is Robert Frank’s "London 11," a gelatin-silver print made between 1952 and 1953. My first reaction is...wow, talk about overwhelming! It feels almost claustrophobic. Editor: Yes, the contact sheet format offers us immediate insight into Frank's method of production and editing choices. This piece offers raw insights into Frank's engagement with post-war London. Curator: Raw is definitely the word! I see so much activity in this series of snapshots... the flow of daily life, almost a hurried quality about it. But what stories were caught here, you think? Editor: Frank documented a period deeply affected by economic austerity, and these working class neighborhoods bore much of this burden. Observe the use of light and shadow – almost obscuring the individuals. This highlights a theme of anonymity and potentially, marginalization. Curator: Right! Those shadowy figures blend into the architecture— almost disappears entirely! Is Frank aiming to say something about the individual within a crowd? Editor: Absolutely. The use of gelatin silver printing further emphasizes this effect, making use of cheap readily-available materials to create multiple layers of gray. In doing so, it removes glamour that one might find in high art, leaving space only for honest depictions. Curator: There’s definitely an everyman quality here! It almost dares you to see the beauty or significance in the everyday... I am curious about that slash of color on the left, some kind of red marking. Deliberate? Accidental? Editor: The red marks added to the film further distance it from pristine image production. Frank seems more interested in the photograph as a document of labor – a deliberate counterpoint to established photographic practices. Curator: Well, it definitely shakes things up and throws pretension right out the window. The piece has grown on me...the grit has become captivating. What a potent historical record. Editor: It is precisely the confluence of the mundane with a larger cultural narrative that allows for a more egalitarian viewing of Frank's project and photographic process. This provides a necessary entrypoint to discussions around class, urban life and art.